Texas man spared from execution because of intellectual disability

A Texas man was removed from death row after a court ruled he was too intellectually disabled to be executed.

Tomas Gallo was sentenced to death in 2004 for murdering and sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter. His defense in 2004 argued that he shouldn’t be executed due to his intellectual disability but was initially rejected, the Texas Tribune reported. On Wednesday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the decision and ruled 5-4 that Gallo was exempted from execution due to his intellectual disability.

Gallo’s attorney, Richard Ellis, said the Harris County District Attorney’s Office was vital in the eventual decision.

“They recognized this was an injustice,” he said. “They recognized the long and overwhelming documentation that was provided to show Mr. Gallo’s intellectual

Continue reading